Funeral For A Friend
by ladywhiplasher
Summary: After Skipper got sick, Kowalski figures out that he has a congenital heart defect. The team tries to save him, but Skipper feels that his life is about to end. Will he get well, or ist this the last chance to make his last days the best of his live.R
1. A Cold Winter

**Note: Hey Guys. Here is my new story. I decided to go back to my roots and write another sad story. There will some medical stuff going on and I haven´t decided yet if I make this happy or sad ending. So please pepare for both. I hope you like it. XOXO ladywhiplasher**

1. A Cold Winter

It was in the middle of the winter and the Central Park Zoo barely had visitors. A very quiet period started for the zoo inhabitants. Everyone had fun in this man-free time. The Penguins enjoyed the quiet time of the year too and spent the days with indoor training.

It was Saturday evening, and the four penguins wanted to watch a movie together. Private prepared the popcorn and Kowalski was still tinkering on their DVD player. Everything went very quiet and happy, even Rico had planted his bombs and grenades to the side and brushed the blond hair of his doll girlfriend. Skipper relaxed while having a hot bath. The entire bathroom was plunged into a steamy mist and the leader fought a terrible war with a toy tank against the bath foam mass.

"Here, take this" muttered Skipper and broke through a foam tower, which he had built himself. In the living room almost everything was ready for a cozy movie night. Private just went once more to the periscope to take a quick look outside. He could hardly see anything, because outside was pitch black night. But suddenly startled the little penguin as a shadow rushed passed their habitat.

"Maybe I should tell Skipper." Private mumbled nervously and ran to the bathroom where Skipper was still engaged to break walls made of foam with his little tank. "Skipper, there is something out there. Someone sneaks around there. I´ve seen it!" cried the little penguin excited when he first burst into the bathroom.

Skipper startled and let his toy falling into the bath water, hoping that Private had not noticed that the brave leader was playing war in the bathtub. "What's wrong, Private?" Skipper asked, touched by a bit embarrassed as Private looked at the foam fortress. "I've seen prowling a shadow outside, Skipper. I don´t know who or what it was." said Private and Skipper jumped quickly from the hot water.

He wiped the remaining bubble bath from his body and waddled together with Private back into the living room. "Kowalski, have you heard anything?" asked the leader and also threw a look through the periscope. "No, Skipper. Maybe it was just the wind that has blown something through the air." said the scientists and made it clear today that he had no ambition to go outside into the freezing cold.

"And what if it was a spy creeping around our HQ, just waiting to attack us?" Skipper said sarcastically and went on his way to the ladder that led to the exit. Kowalski sighed and followed him. Rico, also disappointed, dropped his doll and followed reluctantly. "Now come on, men. We just take a look around." Skipper said to the slightly disappointed team to cheer them up again.

The four penguins climbed up and an icy wind almost blew from their island. Snow flakes flew through the air and the ground was covered with ice. "Let's go, men!" Skipper said, and slid on his belly from their habitat. On the ice sheet that covered the sidewalk, they could slip twice as fast now.

"Educational work" commanded Skipper, who had to yell almost, that the other understood him by the whistling of the wind. The four belly slid through the zoo, but couldn´t find any suspect object and after half an hour they gave up the search. "See Skipper, Private has just immagined that and made a mountain out of a molehill. Slowly he comes to your footprints." Kowalski said with some sarcasm and got an angry gaze from Skipper.

But the leader had to admit that nothing had happened. "Okay, we abandon the mission." Skipper said a little sad. With these words, they made their way back. The wind blew stronger and bitter cold they crawled underneath their feathers. Skipper was trembling, because he was suddenly very cold. He felt like this snowstorm was creeping through his veins.

Skipper knew that something was wrong with him. His body suddenly felt so numb and he couldn´t explain where this strange feeling came from. The leader just hoped that he won´t get sick now. He stopped in the middle of the way. "Skipper, what is wrong?" Private asked and looked to his leader, who pressed his flippers on his forehead. "I don´t know, Private. Everything is revolving around me."Skipper muttered and closed his eyes to get rid of the dizziness. But that only made it worse. Skipper groaned, and the others were instantly at his side.

"Skipper, what is going on. Don´t you feel alright?" Kowalski asked and looked worried to Skipper. "I don´t know, I'm so dizzy, Kowalski." Skipper muttered, but he felt that he was about to lose consciousness. He slowly put one foot before the other, praying that this dizzy would subside soon.

But it got worse with every step he took. Skipper could see just blurred and a few seconds later he collapsed on the floor. "Skipper!" Private called and was immediately at his side. "Kowalski, what´s wrong with him?" asked the little penguin worried. But the scientists tried to keep a cool head. "Quick, we bring him back to the HQ." Kowalski said, raising his leader from the ground. But Skipper was completely passed out and they had to carry him back through the snowstorm.


	2. Just A Simple Flu?

2. Just A Simple Flu?

An hour passed as Skipper woke up again. The leader laid buried under a pile of blankets and pillows on the couch. His team looked at him anxiously as he opened his eyes. Skipper felt like misery itself and tried to sit up. He was still freezing much, even with all the blankets.

"Skipper, how do you feel?" Private asked and sat down beside him. But Skipper couldn´t answer him, because he couldn´t explain this strange feeling he felt. He had never felt so weak in life. "Skipper, what is it?" Private asked shocked when the leader closed his eyes again. "Its nothing, Private. I´m fine." Skipper muttered and tried to suppress the burgeoning dizziness again.

"Kowalski, what happened?" asked the leader, looking kind of helpless to the scientist, who was taking notes. "Skipper, it looks like you had a dizzy spell. But with a bit of bed rest we can patch you up again." Kowalski said confidently. "What? A dizzy spell? But why and why now?" Skipper asked, upset because he didn´t want to accept that he just passed out like a weakling.

"I´m not sure why this happened. But I have a theory." Kowalski said thoughtfully. "Oh yeah? Hopefully you have a good one." Skipper said with a bitter undertone. "So, you´ve been sitting in the hot tub before we left, right?" Kowalski started, but no one understood what he was going to say. "Um, yes. But why does it matter?" Skipper asked impatiently.

"Well in theory, it is possible that you didn´t tolerate the temperature change. That means, your body was heated by the water temperature, and then you're suddenly out into an icy cold, which goes to the freezing temperatures. Maybe the your blood circulation couldn´t handle that. This happens especially when your immune system and your body is already weakened. I think you get a cold or flu. This could´t happen, even to you but don´t worry, Skipper. " Kowalski said and Skipper was sacrificed with that declaration.

"Well, that would be a good explanation. So, no more hot bathing before freezing missions. All right, its registered." Skipper said, and yawned, because he felt terrible tired and exhaused after the hardships. "Yes, it is the best if you lie down and recuperate your cold. We can watch the movie another day." Private said cheerfully. But Kowalski had a little worried expression on his face after this plausible explanation, that Skipper hadn´t noticed.

So they went to bed and let their heater running at full speed so they could heat their habitat. After everything got quiet, Skipper was still awake. He couldn´t explain why he felt so strangely weak. It was like something was robbing him all his strength. The leader closed his eyes, hoping that he would finally find some sleep. But it didn´t work and he remained awake.

Skipper was actually very tired, but he wasn´t able to get some rest. He quickly jumped out of his bunk and looked at his team, who were all sleeping soundly. He smiled as he thought how lovingly they took care for him. Skipper stretched and left the bunk area to make some coffee.

If he wasn´t able to sleep, he would use his time to go through their old mission files again at least. The leader submitted their files on their concrete table and sat down. The minutes passed quickly and Skipper drank one coffee by another. It was long after midnight when his eyes almost shut themselves. But he already drunk so much coffee that he slipped around quite nervously in his seat.

Skipper could actually feel how the caffeine crawled through his veins and this never happened before. He felt like his heart was racing and he gasped. The leader had never reacted so strongly to coffee that would rouse him so immense. But the strange feeling grew stronger and he felt like Bert the elephant was sitting on his chest.

Skipper pressed his flipper on his chest and felt his heart racing like a wild beat of drums. "What is wrong with me?" muttered the leader and put his coffee aside. He looked at the files which were spread on the table and realized that they became more and more blurred before his eyes.

Skipper quickly closed his eyes and shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. But it didn´t work, but got worse. A strange feeling of weakness overwhelmed him and he was no longer able to sit upright anymore. The leader lost control over his body. With his last strength he tried to get up to drag himself to his bunk, but when he did, everything revolved around him.

He got a painful tingling in is flippers and feet, as they wouldn´t be properly supplied with blood anymore. Skipper went on his knees and leaned with the flippers on the ground. Slowly fear rose up in him and he tried to call his friends, but his voice failed. Now his flippers weren´t able to carry his weight anymore and the leader fell on his belly. His heart pounded in his ear holes, and he trembled as if he had a muscle cramp. Skipper could hardly breathe and gasped for air.

But this caused a severe cough and he laid panting on the ground. Skipper couldn´t do anything and closed his eyes. He hoped that this strange kind of seizure would end soon. The leader got a terrible feeling of pressure in his chest and he rolled onto his back.

Desperated, he stared at the ceiling of their HQ and he tried to keep a cool head. With trembling flippers he felt his pulse on his neck. But this was racing so fast that he found it immediatly. Skipper tried to breathe deeply and relax now, so he got his heart racing back under control.

But this time he was lucky, because after five minutes the leader felt how his body calmed down again. Everything got a clear view again and he was able to sit up again. Skipper was covered in sweat and shivering, although it was cozy warm in the HQ. Now he could not deny anymore that he was sick.

He slowly got up and waddled to the bunks, because he won´t dare to do anything tonight anymore. He quickly slipped into his bed and curled up on under his blanket. After a few minutes he finally got warm and he snuggled up even more in his bed. He clenched his eyes and hoped he would finally fall asleep. Skipper coughed again and it left a slight stinging in his lungs. "I have no time to be sick. Hopefully it's better tomorrow." muttered the leader whispered to himself and fell asleep.


	3. Denial

3. Denial

Skipper woke up very late in the next morning. He felt terribly miserable, but he didn´t want to tell anyone about what had happened at night. No one should know that he was feeling so bad. Skipper hated it when someone was worried about him. So he determinded to behave as normally as possible.

His team was already on its feet and noticed immediately that their leader was awake again. They quickly ran to him, to see how he felt. "Skipper, are you feeling better?" Private asked worried and Kowalski gave him a critical eye, because as his doctor he had to take care of every symptom.

"I feel good. Almost like new born." Skipper said, trying to sound as confident as possible. "That´s weird, yesterday you were quite sick and now you are feeling that good again?" Kowalski asked suspiciously and put his flipper on Skippers forehead to check if he had a fever. But he had none. ´

"No, Kowalski. I'm okay. Maybe I just needed some sleep. Don´t worry about me." Skipper said, and jumped from his bed. Although he was dizzy, but he managed to hide that he was about to collapse again. His team should draw no suspicion that he was still very sick.

"Okay, you're stayed up the half night to go through our ols mission files again?" Kowalski asked, still suspicious. Skipper hesitated, because he had totally forgotten to get all the stuff from the table away through his seizure last night. "Um yes I'm sorry that I forgot to put away all the stuff again, men. But I was tired and wanted to do that then today." Skipper replied and looked at the table, but his team had removed all of his traces again.

"Do you want anything for breakfast?" Private asked, looking at Skipper, still worried. "Um, no thank you, Private. But we a lot of things to do today. We have to train. I've already slept half the day, so its the best when we start right now." Skipper said, hoping that he had removed all doubts of his friends.

But somehow, everything he said made their suspicions even worse. "Skipper, I don´t think you should absolve any training today. You were very sick yesterday and doesn´t disappear over night. If you don´t really recover, then you could even get a relapse, which will then be much worse. " Kowalski said thoughtfully.

"No, Kowalski. We will train. Yesterday was just a bad day for me, okay." Skipper said final and made it clear to the others that he wouldn´t tolerate any doubts anymore. His team sighed and gave in. Skipper smiled and was happy on the inside that he was finally able to convince them that he was okay.

"Allright men. Let's start with a few simple warm-up exercises." exclaimed Skipper and his team started with push ups and sit ups. The leader also tried to join the exercises, but the more he tried to act as healthy as possible, the worse he felt. After just ten push-ups he was totally out of breath and he stood up to give his team instructions.

But before he could say a word, he felt an intense stinging in his chest that spread into his left flipper. Skipper winced in pain and gasped. Now his cover was completely blown. "Skipper, what is with you?" Private and Kowalski shouted at the same time and ran quickly to him. But before they were at his side, Skipper collapsed on the floor.

"Skipper!" Kowalski said, raising his leader off the floor. "Rico, quickly bring me my stethoscope." the scientists said and felt Skippers puls on his neck. But his heart was racing so fast like last night again and the leader knew that his friends wouldn´t believe him that he was fine again anymore.

Rico returned quickly with Kowalski's stethoscope and the scientists pressed Skipper the cold metal on his chest. A few seconds passed and Kowalski's face turned from concern to shock. "Oh God. Skipper you have to rest up now. You have heart rhythm disorders." said the scientist, and raised him up along with Private to take the gasping Skipper to his bed. "No, everything is okay. I just have to sit down a moment." Skipper murmured softly, and was shortly before losing consciousness.

"Oh no. You have absolute bed rest until we know what's wrong with you, Skipper. That's something serious. You can´t joke with heart rhythm disorders." Kowalski said seriously as they laid their leader to bed. "Skipper, why did you lie to us? You're not doing better than yesterday at all, it´s just ten times worse." Private said in concern, and covered his leader with his blanket.

"I don´t wanted you to be worried about me. But it looks like I've probably failed." Skipper muttered weakly and sighed. Kowalski immediately returned with a blood pressure monitor and attached the cuff to Skippers flipper. "Skipper, why can´t you accept that you are sick? You have something serious and your denying just makes things worse." Kowalski said with a mixture of disappointment and worry.

Skipper understood now that it was a mistake to lie to his friends and he was ashamed of it. He was very embarrassed that they saw him in such a state. After Kowalski had inflated the cuff, his face darkened more and more. "Skipper, your blood pressure is anything but normal. You need urgently to see the doctor." Kowalski said, looking earnestly at Skipper.

It all was a serious matter for the scientist, because he had no idea what kind of sickness Skipper suffered from. After he had listened Skippers heart about ten times with a stethoscope, he was totally sure that his leader didn´t have just a simple cold. "Forget it, Kowalski, I will never ever go back to the doctor." Skipper said seriously, looking angrily at the scientist. "But Skipper, you ..." stammered Kowalski surprised about Skipper's angry response.

"I'm okay when you can examine me. But I will never go to the doctor. This is my last word." said Skipper and Kowalski knew it was useless to convince Skipper. "But Skipper, we all want you to feel better again." Private said sadly, trying to calm his angry leader. Skipper looked into the little penguins eyes. He was really afraid for him. But the leader shook his head.

"Sorry, Private. But these human demons have already done too much pain to me." Skipper muttered, thinking and in Private eyes glittered some tears. But Kowalski couldn´t keep Skipper in such bad state and leave him to his fate. He had to figure out what made his leader so sick and even more important for him was that he found a cure.

But then he got an idea, that Skipper couldn´t refuse. "Skipper, what about if we go to the doctor and I just use his equipment to examine you. You definitely need an EEG, a MRI and a couple of meds. Fortunately, our zoo doc is equipped with everything and he also isn´t in his practice today. So we can go right now. " Kowalski said, hoping that Skipper would agreed.

The leader thought for a moment and looked into the anxious faces of his friends. He actually wanted them not to be worried about him. So he finally gave in and agreed to Kowalskis suggestion.


	4. MRI, Lemurs And Other Disasters

4. MRI, Lemurs and Other Disasters

"Can you get up, Skipper?" Kowalski asked and looked to his leader. "Sure." Skipper muttered and rose slowly from his bed. But after a few seconds his feet got numb and he wavered. "Skipper." Private cried and held his flipper to support him. "Rico, you go to his other side." Kowalski said, and the mad penguin was right on the spot.

Rico and Private put Skippers flippers around their necks and supported him for walking. "Thanks, men." muttered the leader, and tried to take one step by another. After they had finally left the HQ, the penguins had to be very careful that nobody noticed them. But before they found a safe way, they already crossed the way of the lemurs.

King Julien, Maurice and Mort looked at the four penguins in surprise. "Oh, look at them, Maurice. The bossy penguin is even carried by his loyal subjects. Why does no no one carry me, the king." Julien asked in a threatening voice. But Maurice seemed the only one to recognize the seriousness of the situation.

"Skipper, what's wrong with you?" asked the portly Lemur and didn´t paid any attention to King Julien's question. But Skipper was too weak to talk to them, so he turned for help to Kowalski. "Um, Skipper is sick. We bring it straight to the veterinary clinic. Don´t worry, he'll be fine." The scientists said cheerfull. But his words were to much cheerful so that he even didn´t believe them himself.

"Oh, what´s wrong with the penguin?" Mort asked, with his squeaky voice and climbed on Skippers head. Mort, please leave him alone. " Private said slightly angered and pushed the little lemur down form Skipper. "What are you doing?" Silly penguin, I'm the one who can kick Mort around, got it?" King Julien said angrily and walked a few steps toward the Penguins. Rico growled and looked gloomily at the lemurs.

"Ringtail, why can´t you leave us alone just one damned time?" Skipper growled suddenly and looked angrily at the Lemur. "Skipper No. Calm down." Private mumbled and tried to hold his leader back before he was loosing it. Skipper felt his pulse started to race in rage again. The leader gasped and took a few steps toward Julien.

"Listen, Ringtail. I´m not in the mood to discuss with you anymore. Just disappear into you so called kingom and don´t get on my f***ing nerves." hissed Skipper and his eyes sparkled threatening. Julien backed away because he got a little scared when he saw the leader so in anger.

He's already been yelled at so often by Skipper, but this time it was different. Skipper meant it deadly serious. Mort also quickly hid himself behind King Julien's feet and looked anxiously to Skipper. "Maurice, let´s go." muttered the lemur king and turned around quickly.

Maurice looked worried at Skipper, because he had never seen him so angry and evil before. The older Lemur knew that the leader was feeling very badly when he reacted so angry and he, Mort and Julien went back to their royal habitat. Skipper watched them as they disappeared, trying to bring his anger back under control, so that his heart beat calmed down again. "Skipper, you´re okay? You may don´t get so upset like this that is not good for your condition." Kowalski said, turning back to go further.

The leader groaned as he felt a painful stinging in his chest again. "Quick, we gotta go," said Private and grabbed the leaders flipper again. They had no time to lose and they smuggled Skipper through the zoo and they succeeded without other obstacles to get to the vet. "Head Formation, go!" muttered Skipper and his team stood under the window.

Rico jumped on Kowalski and Private quickly jumped on Ricos head. As they finished the ladder, Skipper climbed slowly up on his friends and slipped quickly through the half-open window. A few seconds later his friends got in and secured the area.

But here was not a human around. "Uh, we're in the right place." Kowalski said, looking at a large white device in the form of a tube, which stood in the middle of the room. Behind it was a small room with glass walls, which served as an observation room. In there were a few monitors that were connected by cable to the MRI. Kowalski was in his element now.

He quickly slipped into the chamber and started the MRI by a computer. There was a loud clicking sound and after a few seconds it was ready to start. "'Okay Skipper, you have to lay there on the stretcher and it will be pushed into the tube. Then it gets pretty loud in there, but this is completely normal. I hope we finally find an answer. I will do my best. The others and I have to stay in the observationroom during the examination, because of the radiation, okay? " Kowalski said and led Skipper to the carrier, which was protruding from the tube.

As fast as he could, he jumped on it and laid down. "Okay, let´s do this." said the scientist and waved Rico and Private to him. "Everything will be fine again, Skipper. Kowalski will figure out what´s making you sick and then he´ll find a cure, I'm sure." said Private and gave the leader an encouraging smile. Skipper smiled back, even if he was not so confident.

After another call from Kowalski sounded and Private and went into the observation room. Skipper was alone now. "Skipper, can you hear me?" the leader heard Kowalski's voice through a speaker inside the MRI. Skipper nodded and looked to his friends behind the glass wall.

Shortly after that a low hum sounded and the stretcher was drawn into the tube. Skipper actually didn´t suffer from claustrophobia, but he was a little scared by this narrow room. At least the inner room was lit well. "Okay, Skipper. Here we go. Hold still and don´t move, or I won´t get any clear pictures. It will not take long." Kowalski's voice rang through the loudspeaker. "Okay, all right. I´ll try." Skipper said, and laid down comfortably on the back. "All right, Skipper. Now more talking please." Kowalski said, and started the MRI.


	5. Death Sentence

**Note: Now Kowalski will figure out Skippers horrible fate. It was really hard to write because it really made me want to cry. I hope you like it anyway.**

5. Death Sentence

The MRI was unbearably loud with clicking noises, which boomed in Skippers head. He just hoped it would be over soon and he closed his eyes and tried to relax. But somehow his gut feeling told him that everything would be in vain. Meanwhile, Kowalski, Rico and Private sat in front of the monitors and watch the pictures, which were indicated by the computer.

Rico and Private didn´t understand the meanings of the pictures at all, but Kowalski was highly concentrated, so that he didn´t miss a single detail. Private was fascinated, how Skippers body was illuminated by the MRT, like he was made of glass. Kowalski was focused on examining Skippers heart, because all his symptoms indicated a heart disease.

"There is something." murmured the scientist, pointing to the monitor. But it was just a smudge on the screen and he wiped it away. Rico yawned and looked around. In a small shelf he found some packaged syringes and juggled with them. The minutes passed quickly, without something happening. Rico and Private were terribly bored and watch Kowalski, as he tapped nervously on the keyboard. His expression became more serious, but Private and Rico didn´t know what that meant.

But after a quarter of an hour, Kowalski let out a startlet cry. Private and Rico turned quickly to him, because they were busy playing Simon Says. "Kowalski, what's going on? Did you figure out something." Private asked and jumped on the table, where the monitors were standing.

But the scientist was horrified by what he saw on the monitor. "No, please don´t. This can´t be true." Kowalski murmured as if in a trance and typed wild on the keyboard to adjust to the MRT. Private was nervous because he didn´t know what Kowalski meant. But after a few minutes, and after stareing at the same picture and viewing it from all possible perspectives, the scientist threw angrily the computer mouse off the table.

Rico and Private watched in confusion as it crashed on the ground and its parts flew through the room. Kowalski buried his face under his flippers and gave a despairing groan. "Kowalski waazz up?" Rico asked, confused, couldn´t bear this tension. But as Kowalski turned to them, they saw that tears were running down his face. Private got an unpleasant stinging in the stomach, because he knew that he had no good news.

"Kowalski, what is? What's up with Skipper?" asked the little penguin and the scientist sobbed. "He won´t get well anymore, Private." Kowalski and murmured back while tears were running down his face. "What do you mean that he will not recover. What kind of sickness does he have?" Private asked naively.

Kowalski took a deep breath."It is best if we tell him together." said the tall penguin and turned off the MRT. But Rico and Private still didn´t know what he figured out and followed him with worried faces.

The penguins quickly ran back into the main room, where Skipper climbed straight out of the tube. He looked into the faces of his friends and saw that they just didn´t look very happy. "So, Kowalski. Report." Skipper said, hoping still for a positive response.

"Skipper, I don´t know how to explain it to you. But ..." Kowalski stammered with tears in his eyes. "But what? Now say it to me already, it can´t be so bad." Skipper said, trying to sound casually, but inside him the tension grew more and he feared that the scientist had terrible news for him. "Skipper, you have a congenital heart defect and though it has been untreated for all this years, it massively damaged your heart. It already showes up enormous structural anomalies and don´t work normaly, as you have surely noticed ..." muttered Kowalski, who wanted to hide his grief with scientific jibber jabber.

"Yes, I also noticed that already, otherwise we wouldn´t be here, right?" Skipper asked, annoyed, because he finally wanted to have a clear answer. "Oh God, Skipper, you will die. I don´t know what I should do to help you, but your heart is damaged too much. You won´t just recover form this, never again. Do you understand? It's over!" Kowalski screamed hysterically and burst into tears.

Now the whole truth was finally out and it felt for Skipper like a punch in the stomach. Private fainted from the shock and Rico dropped a bomb from his beak, which he kicked out the window quickly. "I'm going to die?" stammered Skipper and his stomach dropped painful. He had never expected such a fatal response.

"I'm so sorry, Skipper." Kowalski wept and hugged his leader, who was petrified. Skipper didn´t even know what to say or think. Rico shook his head in disbelief, because he didn´t want to accept that Skipper was dying. Somehow, the leader was still waiting that Kowalski told him that it was just a joke. But the reactions of his friends made him understand that this all was very serious.

Skipper felt as if his life laid in ruins before him. As if every feeling disappeared from his body and he had nothing but bitter emptiness. He wanted to cry, but he couldn´t. "How much time do I have now?" muttered the leader to get rid of the desperate silence that dominated among them.

"Maybe a few days but not more than a week." Kowalski stuttered, and pressed himself even closer to Skipper. Private also woke up again and his eyes were filled with tears. "No, please don´t. Kowalski, can´t you help him any way?" asked the little penguin desperated.

"I could try. But, scientifically speaking, it is impossible to cure him. The only thing I can do is to make his last days pleasant with painkillers." Kowalski said, wiping his flippers over his eyes. The leader was paralyzed. He couldn´t speak. Skipper was indeed a soldier and should not cry, but he couldn´t hold it back anymore.

Silent tears were running down his face and he felt a slight nausea when he finally realized what would happen to him now. His heart felt as if it would shatter into a thousand pieces when he saw the pain of his friends. Desperately, he looked into the faces of his friends and saw nothing but grief, sorrow and sheer dread.

Skipper couldn´t simply accept his fate, because he always wanted to die fighting, but now it was his destiny, that his own heart was going to kill him. "Skipper, please don´t leave us." Private wept and went to him. With trembling flippers he hugged his leader and pressed his head firmly on his chest. "Shh, Private. Its allright. Don´t cry." Skipper muttered in a trembling voice, patting his back gently to comfort the little penguin.

But private couldn´t calm down, because he knew that there would be no comfort for him that would change the situation somehow. Private did nothing but cry and his tears soaked Skippers feathers. "What will you do now, Kowalski?" said Skipper, who still couldn´t get one clear thought.

The scientist shook his head and sighed. "I don´t know, Skipper. But I won´t let you die so painfully. I'm going to need some medicine, because your pain will get worse, because your heart does not beat properly. I'll also need some other medical devices. I will do anything to your deaht any more pleasant, if I can´t find any other solution. " Kowalski thought, but it also gave them little hope. Dejected, they made their way back to HQ and locked all doors and entrances.


	6. Five Stages Of Grief

**Note: Now it becomes really sad. Skipper can´t handle his fate and has an emotional outburst. This chapter really made me dripping one or two tears. so enjoy.**

6. Five Stages Of Grief

At the HQ remained a dead silence, no one dared to say a word. None of the Penguins believed that Skipper would die soon. Skipper was sitting on the couch and was lost in his thoughts. He could not accept it, he wouldn´t just surrender to his fate.

The leader wondered if he didn´t miss any hint that would his save life eventually. What if Kowalski is wrong? What if it is not so bad? Skipper was clinging desperately on this two ideas. He got up and went to their concrete table, where Kowalski screwed on his invention.

"Kowalski, what if you're wrong. Are you really sure of your diagnosis?" Skipper muttered and sat down on one of the concrete blocks that served as a chair. The scientist sighed. "Skipper, I checked it hundred times and there is no doubt. I don´t wanna accept this as much as you do, believe me, but it's true." muttered Kowalski and his voice trembled as if he was about to burst into tears. But this answer was not enough for Skipper.

"No, that can´t be true. I never had any symptoms or any medical mistake. Not a single time in my whole life. You´re wrong, thats the only explanation." growled Skipper and was getting angry, although he even didn´t know why. "You had symptoms, I'm sure. But the way I know you, you've simply ignored them. Yes, that is the only possibility, because you think that you'll never sick, right Skipper?" Kowalski said, also sounding annoyed.

"Just because I don´t start whining about every little ache or pain, it is my fault now? I can´t remember one time that I ever had any problems with the heart, Kowalski. But I am sure that your diagnosis is wrong! " Skipper screamed and stood up angrily.

"But Skipper. "muttered Private carefully, but the leader gave him an angry gaze. "Leave me alone, Private. This is the last thing I need now. Any sentimentalism." Skipper said, annoyed. But Private was hurt by these very harsh words and his eyes got filled with tears. But the leader just ignored it, he didn´t care about anything anymore now.

Incensed, he sat down on the couch." When I wake up tomorrow, everything will be back to normal. Yes, exactly. I will not die. This is all a big mistake." growled Skipper and looked angrily at Kowalski, who looked at him with a worried look. But all the worried looks of his friends made him even angrier.

He couldn´t hold back his frustration anymore." What's going on with you? You look like I´d already been buried. I don´t need your sympathy! "Skipper screamed and jumped up. Even his dizziness he couldn´t prevent him from yelling angrily at his team.

"Skipper, you have to calm down. Your screaming will not change anything. You just experience the five stages of emotional pain." Kowalski said, trying to calm the situation, but he made it even worse. The leader went to him in rage." Don´t tell me what I have to do. I calm down when I feel like to. I´m still your leader and you have to do what I tell you to, got it?" roared Skipper.

But the roaring wasn´t good for him. Panting, he leaned on the table and tried not to faint. "Skipper, I never wanted to give you any comands. That was only a well-meant advice" stammered Kowalski, who didn´t know how to get out of this situation anymore. "Oh yeah? You are probably just waiting for that I'm lying inside a coffin, so that you´ll be in charge." growled Skipper and the rest of his team froze in shock.

"Skipper, you don´t really mean that, right?" Private whimpered and broke down in tears because wasn´t able to watch their fighting anymore. Kowalski looked his leader in intimidation. He had never seen Skipper being so so mean and freaking out like this. He never wanted anything bad for him.

"Skipper, I ..." stammered the scientist who wasn´t able to handle all the emotional pain anymore. Tears were burning in his eyes as he looked at Skipper. But as the leader penguin saw the tears, he realized what he had just done. "What have I done? Oh God, men. I didn´t meant to say something like that. I swear. I don´t know what came over me." stammered Skipper and just then he realized how much he hurt his friends with his outburst.

But his team he was not angry at him, because they knew how terrible and helpless he felt. "Skipper, you don´t need to apologize for anything." muttered Kowalski, who also calmed down again. He was just too shocked that he recognized that his leader didn´t meant this allegations seriously.

"I'm so sorry." Skipper murmured, burying his face under his wings. He was so ashamed of what he said before. The scientist stood up and put him his flipper comforting on his back. "It's all right, Skipper. I know what you're going through. This is completely normal." Kowalski said encouragingly. "Is there really no other diagnosis for me. Or any chance that I could survive that?" Skipper asked with a pleading tone in his voice.

"I´m afraid to say no, Skipper. But of course I will try everything to save you." Kowalski said with tears in his eyes. Skipper sighed and got up to lie down back on the couch again. He slowly seemed to realize how hopeless his situation was. More and more he realized that his life would soon come to an end. He just would leave his team, which were also his best friends and his family, alone.

Quite apart from the pain they will go through when he wouldn´t be here anymore. As these thoughts went through Skippers head, he broke down in tears. He just lost control over his emotions and others were immediately at his side, as they realized that their leader started to cry desperatly. "Skipper, what is it?" asked the little Private and tried to comfort him with a hug.

"Skipper, please stop. We're all with you. We will never leave you. We´ll stay at your side, until your heart stops beating." Private muttered and also fought back tears. Kowalski sobbed. "That was really poetic, Private." murmured the scientist and wiped his eyes. "Not cry." muttered Rico, who couldn´t stand this emotional pressure anymore.

"I'm so sorry that I yelled at you. I never wanted to say something like that. You guys are just everything I´ve got anymore..." Skipper whimpered and pushed himself even tighter to Private. "Shh, it´s allright, Skipper. We will always be with you. No matter what you say or do." Private whispered, patting his leader on his back to cheer him.

"Skipper, I'll think of something. We´ll do this, together. Just don´t give up. This is the most important thing. Be strong, we will help you." Kowalski said, praying that his words would really become reality. Skipper slowly calmed down and let go of Private.

"You're right, men. I can´t just give up. Thank you, that you are always here for me even when I'm obnoxious sometimes." muttered the leader, and wiped his eyes. He was aware, that he would die but at least he was not alone. Just now he understood what great friends he had and he didn´t want to trade them for anything in the world. After the outburst, he felt a little better and he was almost ready to accept his fate. But something kept him from it, because Kowalski kept trying to make new hope.

The scientist grabbed all the books and readings that could help him somehow. He retired back to his lab to avoid being disturbed in his research. Meanwhile, the others spent the rest of the day watching TV. All waited for Kowalski coming with good news from his lab, but they waited in vain. It was already night and they decided to go to sleep. Maybe a new day brought a new hope.


	7. Nightmares and Disputes

7. Nightmares and Disputes

Skipper slept very badly. Again and again he rolled around in his bed and was tortured by terrible nightmares. He saw his friends in front of him, as they stood in front of a grave. His grave. Like a ghost, he turned to them. But in this dream, he was already dead, and he already watched the effect of his death.

Private suffered a nervous breakdown, Kowalski lost his faith in science and Rico destroyed everything around him. Skippers team couldn´t hadle the loss. It was so horrible and the leader would do anything to spare them that fate. But he couldn´t wake up from this desperate image of his mourning team. Skipper was trapped in his nightmare and suffered together with his friends and more. He couldn´t bear to watch his friends suffering like that.

"I´m here. I´m with you. I'm not dead, yet!" shouted the leader desperated, but they couldn´t hear him screaming. Skipper could just observe their desperate cries and tears. This was too much for him. This wasn´t just a nightmare anymore but a vision of horror.

The scene changed. Skipper was lying on a bed and his team was with him. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. Almost as if his heart would be torn out. Skipper screamed, but it didn´t stop. With blurred sight he saw his friends stepping away from him with every cry he let out to ease his pain. "Help me, please!" Skipper begged and streched his flipper to reach them, but his team didn´t react at all.

They all just stood there and stared at him in horror. Another sharp pain ran through his body like an electric shock. Skipper writhed with convulsions and cried his heart out. The leader felt that he was close to dying. But why is his body torturing him so much? His friends looked at him with desperate faces and did nothing to help him. They had abandoned him. "Please, help me. I need you. AAAHHHH!" Skipper screamed as the pain increased immeasurably. It felt as someone rammed a knife into his chest.

The leader couldn´d breathe anymore. He just couldn´t do anything. He laid there panting, waiting for his end. Then another wave of pain showed up wich robbed him all of his senses. One last time he glanced to his friends before hís last breath ended his life and he cried, "Please stay with me. ... I... AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH !"...

"Skipper, wake up. Quick Rico, help me!" called Private on the next morning, when he heard a scream from Skippers bunk. Quickly the little penguin hopped into the bottom bunk to see why his leader screamed so tormented. Skipper rolled wildly and almost strangled himself with his blanket. He was drenched in sweat and Private tried to calm him down again.

"Skipper, wake up. Please." Private desperately cried, patting Skippers cheek as Rico got a bucket of water. But Skipper struck wildly and the little penguin jumped on his stomach to hold him tight before he even hurt himself. Private felt Skippers heart racing. Everything was completely out of control. Kowalski couldn´t help them, because he had locked himself in his lab.

Private grabbed Skippers flippers and pressed them on the ground so that he couldn´t strike out anymore. Slowly he calmed down again and Rico lowered the bucket with water, he wanted to pour into the Skipper's face to wake him up. "Skipper, it´s allright. Everything is okay. It was just a nightmare." Private muttered as Skipper opened his eyes. He still had terrible pain.

"Private, what happened?" Skipper gasped out of breath. "You had a nightmare and you screamed horribly. But now it´s over. Are you all right?" asked the little penguin worried and relieved. Skipper could feel his heart clenched and he closed his eyes in pain. "It hurts so much, Private." Skipper whimpered and pressed his flippers on his chest.

"Let me see." Private muttered and put his flippers on Skippers body directly on the place where the leader´s heart was about to burst out. The little penguin felt that it was still beating immensly fast, and that seemed to be the most likley cause of the pain. "Skipper, you need to relax. Then it gets better ... I hope so." Private and murmured and started to rubbing gently on Skippers chest to calm him.

"Breathe deeply, Skipper. Everything is okay. We are with you." Private said and turned for help to Rico. The maniac penguin ran off and fetched a glass of water. After a few minutes Skippers pain found an aprupt end. He laid panting in his bunk with Private on his belly. "Are you feeling better now?" asked the young penguin and sat up. Skipper nodded slightly and also tried to set up. With trembling flippers he reached for his glass of water that Rico had brought him. He quickly emptied it with one gulp and felt a little better.

"Shall I make you breakfast?" Private asked, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "Just coffee, Private." Skipper murmured with a look of gratitude and the little penguin immediately went to work. "Rico, where is Kowalski?" Skipper asked and wanted to get off his bunk.

"Lab" Rico grunted and pointed to the steel door. He saw that Skipper struggled to get up, but the mad penguin pushed him quickly back on his pillow and shook his head. "Stay´n bed." Rico grunted again and made Skipper clear that he shouldn´t leave the bed.

Private finished making coffee for Skipper and brought it in a huge mug to him. Just then, Kowalski came out from his lab, extremely depressed and angry. His eyes fell to Private, who was bringing the mug to Skipper. "What are you doing?" Kowalski called and looked in horror at the little penguin. "I just made a little cup of coffee for Skipper. He had a terrible nightmare and I wanted to make him a nice breakfast."

Private replied puzzled by Kowalskis angry facial expression. "Do you wanna kill him or what?" the scientis cried hysterically and his voice trembled. "No, why should I ..." Private muttered sheepishly and looked sadly at the floor. "Of course you didn´t intent to. You wanted to kill him with a nice, hot cup of caffeine!" shouted the scientist and his words echoed loudly in the HQ. "I didn´t know ..." Private stammered, trying to understand why Kowalski was so angry at him.

"But of course you didn´t know that. You're just a naive little child. You think you can get rid of all the evil in the world with sun rays, a nice smile and good deeds. Instead of thinking about what is right!" shouted the scientist and the little penguin shrink together. With these words he turned around and went back with angry steps into his lab.

"But, I ..." Private faltered, and tears streaming down his face. He slowly turned to Skipper and Rico looking for help or an answer but both were still in shock from Kowalski's outburst. None of the penguins had ever seen the scientists been so angry. "Private .. I don´t know what to say ... Come here." muttered Skipper and hugged the little penguin trying to comfort him.

"Skipper, what did I do wrong. Tell me, please. I just wanted to do you a favor." Private wept silently, while his tears ran down on Skippers chest. "Shh, calm down. You did nothing wrong. I'm sure he didn´t mean it. I'll talk to him, Private." whispered the leader, and broke away from the embrace. Private felt immediately better, as Skipper said that he would help him. Deep in his heart he wished that Skipper would become more like a father for him.

The leader got and swayed briefly, but he managed to drag himself slowly to the steeldoor, which leaded into in Kowalski's lab. But he was startled when he saw what was going on in here. The scientist sat in the middle of the room surrounded by innumerable books and scraps of paper on which something was scrawled on.

Kowalski pressed his wings on his face and sobbed. "Kowalski, what's going on?" Skipper asked, gently, because he wouldn´t risk an escalation again. "Skipper?" What are you doing here? "You ought to stay in bed." muttered Kowalski and his voice shook, this time of grief.

"Um, yes I should. But how can you be so mean to Private. He just wanted to make me a little pleasure and you scream at him as if he had started a capital crime." Skipper said, trying to stay as calm as possible. "He should have known that the caffeine in your coffee increases your blood pressure and heart rate and that´s exactly what I wanted to avoid in your state. Maybe would´t have got a heart attack from tachycardia, or anything. You ..." Kowalski said, but he was interrupted by Skipper.

"And how is Private supposed to know that? Is he a doctor? And for something ridiculous like that you had to shout at him, so that he feels like crap now and cries his eyes out?," Skipper said and was getting angry and curious about Kowalskis behavior.

"He's crying? I didn´t wanted that to happen. I just wanted to help you, Skipper." muttered the scientis sheepishly. He felt ashamed now that he had treated the small Private so mean. "It's just... I wasn´t able to find a alternative diagnosis for you yet. I don´t know what I should do anymore. But believe me, I just wanted to help." Kowalski murmured, lowering his head down. He made terrible accusations, because he still hadn´t found a cure for Skipper and he had to watch him suffering.

"What do you mean, you just wanted to help. I don´t want you guys to fight. Not now. The only thing it achieves is that you are hurting me with stupid fights. This situation is bad enough for me, and your arguments are making it ten times worse. I need you now. Every one of you. " exclaimed Skipper and a couple of desperate tears were dripping down his face.

But suddenly out of nowhere a loud scream came from Skipper. A terrible pain in his stomach forced him to the ground, but Kowalski was immediatly with him. "Skipper, what's going on? Where is the pain? Is it your heart?" the scientists said in panic. "No, my stomach." Skipper gasped and writhed in pain. "Your stomach? But that can´t be." muttered Kowalski, who questioned his sanity slowly. Is this a ney symptom or is this the beginning of the end now?


	8. The Clock Is Ticking

8. The Clock Is Ticking

Skipper collapsed right in front of Kowalski's eyes. "Skipper, what´s wrong with you?" asked the scientist, trying desperately to help his leader anyway. "My stomach feels as it would burst!" Skipper screamed in terrible pain.

Also, Rico and Private heard Skippers agonized screames and ran to the lab immediatly, to check out what is going on. "Oh God, what happened to him? Is he dying now? Kowalski?" Private screamed in horror. But the scientists tried to keep a clear head. These stomach cramps didn´t fit in to Skippers disease at all.

It had to be something else, thought Kowalski, wondering frantically what it could be else. But Kowalski suddenly had an idea. "Skipper, let me see." he murmured, and pushed Skippers flippers to the side, which the leader pressed frantically on his stomach.

Kowalski fumbled on Skippers belly and came to a terrible realization. His belly felt kind of swollen, as if he had internal bleeding. "Skipper, that is not your stomach." the scientist said, looking quickly around. "Private, please get the cart with the monitor!" Kowalski said, but the little penguin hesitated. He was completely in shock and besides, he was still traumatized by Kowalski's outburst. "Private, please ..." gasped Skipper, who was writhing in pain.

"Yes, well ..." Private muttered and quickly slid over to the other corner of the room and brought the cart to Kowalski. "Thank you, Private, and I'm sorry." murmured the scientist and looded sadly at the little penguin. "Come on, you gotta help Skipper." Private replied with a smile that Kowalski regards as forgiveness.

"Okay, Skipper. This will get a little cold." Kowalski muttered, reaching for a plastic bottle that stood on the trolley. He quickly opened the lid and pressed a transparent gel on Skippers belly. The leader shuddered, but he knew what the scientist was up to do.

Kowalski quickly grabbed a small device that was connected to the monitor. "Maybe I can see something with the ultrasound." Kowalski said and pressed Skipper the little device on his stomach and spread the gel to make it better sliding over his feathers.

Private quickly turned on the monitor and immediately a picture of Skipper abdominal cavity appeared on the screen. Kowalski examined his stomach with the ultrasound, but he found nothing that could cause the pain. He let the ultrasound slide on Skippers right side and was startled. "Skipper, as I said. Your stomach is not the problem, but your liver. The hepatic vein is blocked by a blood clot. This causes the pain." Kowalski said excitedly and ran quickly to a closet where he kept all his chemicals and medicines.

"Are you sure?" Skipper coughed and tried to breathe deeply. "Open your eyes." Kowalski said to Skipper, who clenched his eyes in pain. He opened his eyes a bit and his team was shocked. The white parts of his eyes had already colored yellow. "Oh God, your liver fails, Skipper. I have to do something quickly." said the scientist, and reached for a syringe, which he filled with a clear liquid he had taken from his closet.

"This is a blood thinner, so that should erase the clot again." Kowalski muttered as filled the drug into the syringe. "Hold him tight." called the scientists and Private and Rico, reached immediately after Skipper's flippers. "Relax, Skipper. That can hurt a bit now." Kowalski said, and pressed Skippers beak to the side to get to his neck.

He quickly stabbed the needle in the neck of the leader, pushed down the plunger and injected him the drug directly into the jugular vein. After a few minutes Skipper felt, the pain got a little easier. Private and the others were relieved that he was feeling better.

But the leader was still in pain, that made his heart racing. "What happened, Kowalski?" Skipper asked, after he was able to speak again. But the scientists hesitated with his answer. He knew exactly what that meant. "Skipper, it is likely that a clot has been formed in your heart and ended up in your liver vein, and had cut off the blood circulation. It's worse than I thought ..." muttered Kowalski and tried to prepare Skipper to his imminent death.

"What does that mean it's worse than you thought?" Skipper asked, horrified. "Oh God Skipper, don´t you know that. Now that a blood clot has been formed in your heart, it could happen again and cause even more damage. You might have a stroke or something else that you wouldn´t survive through your state. That maybe had been caused by the pain, because every time your body feels pain, your heart rate increases automatically. I'll probably have get you some morphine. " the Scientists said desperately, but Skipper recongized, how serious the situation already was.

"We have to stabilize your state. You can´t do anything, which can increase your blood pressure. That liver failure probably happened just because you were mad at me. You gotta look after you, Skipper." Kowalski said a little sad, and gave the leader a morphine injection to stopp his pain, which could kill him.

Skipper looked down on the floor. At last he had realized in which danger he was. With Privates help, he managed to get up. "I'm so sorry that I give you so much grief. I think that I should lie down again." muttered the leader sadly and went together with Private to the main room, where he sat down on the couch with a groan.

All this was too much to him slowly. Skipper sighed, because he somehow felt almost physically, that he would die soon. He had never thought about what would he do if his end would come. He didn´t want to leave his friends, never. The leader hadn´t waste any thought about what would happen in the event of his death. But now Skipper had to realize, that he should say goodbye to his friends slowly. He just gave up.

The others watched how Skipper was tortured by his emotions. They didn´t know what they should do for him. They couldn´t save him from his fate. But they decided to make him more easily.

Kowalski tried it through medication to help him to get rid of his physical pain, while Private and Rico tried to cheer him up. "Look, Skipper, there´s a good movie on TV." Private said and sat down with the remote in his flippers beside him on the couch.

The tall penguin came to him with another syringe. "This is a beta blocker. It will help you to lower your high blood pressure and your heart rate to avoid such a thing as before happened." said the scientist, and Skipper held out his flipper reluctantly toward Kowalski, so he could inject the drug.

After receiving the injection, the leader felt that his blood pressure dropped because he was suddenly very tired. Skipper yawned and leaned back on the couch. "Yes, fatigue is one of the side effects. But I think that you really need some sleep. You look terribly exhausted." Kowalski said, and went back to his lab to continue his research.

Skipper groaned, and was about to fall asleep. "Do you want a blanket?" Private whispered and the leader nodded silently. He felt the little penguin got up from the couch to get him his blanket from his bunk. But a few seconds later Skipper was sleeping soundly, since he hadn´t got much sleep last night.


	9. Confessions Of A Dying Penguin

**Note: So despite all the depressive mood in this story I decided to add a very cute father and son moment with Skipper and Private. I hope you like it.**

9. Confessions Of A Dying Penguin

As Private returned to the couch Skipper was still asleep soundly. The little penguin wrapped the blanket very carefully around Skippers body and tried not to wake him up. "Wazzup?" asked Rico and Private hissed, so he spoke quietly. "Shh, Rico. He is asleep. I think it´s the best when we leave him alone now." whispered the young penguin and Rico nodded.

But then Kowalski came from his lab and looked around. But Rico and Private gave him to understand that he should be quiet. The scientist nodded and beckoned the two to get into the lab. With light steps they followed him and closed the door so they could speak in a normal tone again.

"Is he asleep?" Kowalski asked, curious and concerned. "Yes, shortly after you have given him the medicine." Private replied. "Yes, it can happen. You know, Private. Skipper is completely at the end of his strength. He don´t want to show it to us, but he's feeling very, very bad. We have to help him to get rid of his depressions at least. This is the only thing we can do for him anymore. " murmured the scientist, and tried to pronounce his last sentence as vage as possible.

"You mean that there is no hope that he will recover from it?" Private asked and his eyes filled with tears. "I'm afraid so, Private. It will be a slow and painful death. Even more painful, because he knows that he will die. I could try to keep him alive through medication and a heart-lung machine when his heart had failed. But I´m sure that this is not in his interest, and also we would only delay the inevitable. He should´t have to suffer anymore. " Kowalski said, trying to sound more scientific despite of his voice trembling with grief.

However, Private and Rico couldn´t accept that at all. They hadn´t actually been aware of that Skipper would really die until now. They still had hoped that their leader would recover by himself. But by Kowalski's sober explanation, that spark of hope was completely vanished suddenly.

"No, there must be something that we can do." Private stammered and started to cry. "Oh Private, I can´t do anything. I can not fix the damage of his heart and make it undone. For this I would need magic powers and that is way beyond my competence." Kowalski replied irritably.

He just couldn´t bear to watch Skipper dying. "Surgery?" asked Rico, who slowly went out of ideas. "And how should I do that. He would need a heart transplant. Where shall I obtain a new heart for him. He wouldn´t survive in his state such a difficult surgery. Not to mention that he would suffer a pain worse that you could imagine in the case of rejection of the transplant. " growled the scientist and tried to finish this conservation.

Rico and Private looked depressed at the floor. So there was no chance for Skipper to survive. "I gotta get some more drugs. Rico, are you coming?" Kowalski asked, trying to distract the two from their grief. The maniac penguin nodded silently, because he couldn´t bear standing around idly.

"Private, you will stay here and take care of him, okay? We will be back in about one hour. We´ll take the walkie talkie along, in case something unexpected should happen to him." Kowalski said, and turned with Rico to the door.

Both climbed quickly up the ladder to the entrance and tried to be as quietly as possible so that they didn´t wake Skipper. Private was still standing in Kowalski's lab, totally depressed. He just didn´t want to face the truth. He would like to throw something against the wall, to get rid of this feeling of anger and grief, but held himself back, because he knew it wouldn´t make sense anyway.

The only thing that he could do for Skipper, he is to remain on his side until his last breath, like a true friend. Quietly he crept back into the living room and sat down carefully on the couch. He turned on the TV, where just a movie scene with a funeral has been aired.

As the little penguin saw this, he immediately poured a flood of tears on his face, because he even saw himself stand at a grave weeping. On Skippers funeral. Private shook his head and tried to erase this terrible image from his mind. Depressed, he turned off the TV again.

He looked up to Skipper, who was still asleep and leaning on the couch. The idea that he would soon be lying in a cold grave, gave Private an unpleasant stinging into his stomach. He wouldn´t let him go, that was the only thing he was sure about now. Quietly, he slid closer to Skipper and slipped to him under the blanket.

Very carefully, he cuddled up to his leader and started to cry his eyes out. "Please, dear Skippers heart. You have to keep beating. Don´t let Skipper die. I´m begging you on my knees, if you insist." Private whimpered and snuggled his head desperatly on Skippers chest as tight as possible.

He heard the weak, irregular heart beats of his leader and sobbed. "You won´t get an answer, young Private." Skipper murmured sleepily and opened his eyes slowly. "Oh no. I'm sorry. I hope, I didn´t wake you up!" cried the little penguin and let go of Skipper immediatly.

Private didn´t know what the leader would think if he would cuddle up to him just without permission from him. Skipper looked in Private terrified face and he knew what he was thinking. "Private, I have been awake for like half an hour and I've heard what Kowalski told you in the lab" muttered the leader sadly. He was already knew that he would die and tried to erase this thought from his mind, but by Kowalski's statement, it was now a fact.

"Skipper, I'm so sorry." Private whispered and wiped his eyes. "Why should you be sorry? You´re not the one who gave me this disease. I´m sorry that you have to suffer so much because of me." said the leader, and sighed. As Skipper said these words another flood of tears left Privates eyes. It was so terrible for him to see how his brave leader suffered.

"May I hug you." Private muttered embarrassed, waiting for Skippers reaction. "You don´t have to ask me. Of course. In my last few days, I won´t give you any commands anymore. From now on I'm just your friend not your leader." Skipper said bitterly, and shuddered.

Quickly Private slipped back into Skippers wings, and hugged the leader tightly. Private whimpered. Now he finally had the opportunity to confess something to Skipper that had been on his mind for years. "For me you are more than just a friend. For me you're like a father, Skipper. I wish it was true." stammered the little penguin and counted even with a negative reaction.

"Really? That is so kind of you, Private. It would have been a great honor to be your biological father." Skipper replied and a few tears ran down his face. "To be honest. I couldn´t have whished for a better son like you Private. Now that I die, I would like to have a real family. I´d never been aware of that desire before. But now I wish I had someone to follow in my footsteps and I would be honored if you would do that, son." muttered the leader, and lapsed into silence. Now he can give vent to his feelings too. Not for nothing he always had a special eye on the little penguin, because he always wanted, him to be like a real leader penguin.

"I will, Skipper. And I promise to be the best son that you could ever wish for in the nex few days." murmured the little penguin, and buried his face in Skippers chest. He had never noticed before how soft and cuddly Skippers feathers actually were. Private felt like a little child that laid in the arms of his father.

Even if the leader was not his real father, he felt Skippers paternal affection more than ever before now. "I don´t know what to do when you're gone." Private whispered and sobbed. Once again the image of the funeral came to his mind and he shivered. "I believe it is easier just to die than to watch someone dying." Skipper replied thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Private asked slightly shocked. "Well, you have to watch how I torture myself. But when I'm dead, I'm just away and you guys have to go on living with this grief in your hearts. This hurts me more than all the pain I endured in my life." Skipper muttered and pressed Private more tight on his body.

The leader finally accepted his fate and the only think he could do now is to wait for his end. "Kowalski said, that I shouldn´t give up. But what should I do when I know that I will die." Skipper asked depressed and remembered exactly the words which the scientist had told him. "I think he wanted you to feel better." Private said. "Yes, he's a good guy ... Oh God, I can not believe that I'm going to lose soon. I will not die. I will not leave you. I just can´t ..." muttered Skipper, and burst into tears.


	10. Precious Friendship

10. Precious Friendship

Skipper could only cry. Private pressed the leader close to him and Skipper let out all his pain in tears. After about ten minutes the leader was so exhausted by his physical and emotional pain that his eyes just shut. Skipper just fell asleep in Privates arms. After the leader penguin was asleep, the little penguin put him gently on the couch again and covered him with his blanket.

Then Private waddled to the bunks to get Skippers pillow. But the hatch from the entrance has been opened suddenly. The little penguin heard Kowalski's annoyed vocals and the irritated voice of Marlene, King Julien, Maurice and Mort. "No, Skipper can´t receive visitors." Kowalski said annoyed and tried to prevent the others, that they entered the HQ. But he had no chance. Marlene and the lemurs climbed down the ladder, and Private tried to calm the agitated crowd. "Be quiet. Skipper sleeps." Private muttered and stood in the way of the other.

"Private, please. If Skipper is really dying, then I will at least say goodbye to him." said Marlene applied and had tears in her eyes. The Penguins were able to understand the excitement of her friends very well and gave the way to the couch free so they could get to Skipper. But the leader was sleeping soundly and didn´t notice the unexpected visit.

As the lemurs and the otter came closer, they were shocked to see Skipper lying so helpless and weak on the couch. Skipper looked really very sick and Marlene leaned over to him. Gently she stroked his back. "Skipper, can you hear me? Please wake up." she whispered softly and Skipper groaned weak. As the leader realized that his friends were with him, he slowly opened his eyes and looked into the anxious faces of his friends.

"Marlene, what are you doing here. Do you know of ...?" Skipper said in a low voice, but he could not say more because Marlene immediately gave him a big hut. "Skipper, I'm so sorry. Why didn´t you tell anyone about it? Can I do anything for you in your last days?" muttered the Otter, and began to cry.

"No, Marlene. No one should get to know it. I don´t want anybody else suffering from it. It's bad enough that my team has to suffer so much." Skipper whispered and sighed. "But we are your friends," said Mort and embraced Skippers feet. "Oh Penguin, I will ask the sky spirits, to make you well again." King Julien said, looking up on the ceiling.

"I'm so sorry, Skipper. As we have seen you the last time, I didn´t think that your condition is so bad. We didn´t know, that you´re terminal patient. I hope that your last days will be the most beautiful of your life." Maurice muttered and looked sad to Skipper. The whole situation was just unbearable for the leader. Marlene cried out in his arms and the lemurs were very sad about this bad news.

With a questioning glance Skipper looked at Kowalski, because he wanted to know how the others got to know about it. "Sorry, Skipper. But they have nailed me and threatened to tell the whole zoo of our disappearance. I wanted to keep all the damage as small as possible." Kowalski said apologetically.

But Skipper couldn´t be mad at him. Finally, he was happy not to be alone in these dark hours. Marlene and the Lemurs didn´t stay long, because the leader was just too exhausted after all, he had hardly slept the last days. He also felt the disease consumed his strength.

After the others had gone, silence finally returned. "Skipper, I'm sorry. I did´t want them to come." Kowalski said, and looked to his leader, who made himself comfortable on the couch again. "It's okay. I just hope they´re not going to tell anybody else." Skipper said thoughtfully. "Where were you guys by the way?" added the leader.

"Rico and I have taken some medicine and also as little surprise, tuna pizza. I thought that today we just make a nice, relaxing evening." Kowalski said. "Tuna!" Rico said aloud and the others listened, as his stomach growled. Skipper was very touched by their efforts to distract him from his impending death.

It was truly a successful evening. They their pizza and then they watched a movie. Just like they used to do it. But in thought everyone knew that this would probably be the last night with Skipper. But the leader was happy that a little normalcy and everyday life had returned to the HQ this evening.

He was happy about this time that he could spend with his friends. It was very late and everyone went to bed tired. Skipper was tired and fell asleep after only a few minutes. Just as Kowalski and Rico. Only Private brooded late into the night. He just couldn´t get rid of the idea that Skipper could soon no longer be with him. He saw himself at his funeral and I knew that these thoughts would be bitter reality soon.

And what should be after Skippers death? How should he proceed further, wondered the little penguin. He knew that the team wouldn´t cope with this loss and Private was afraid of losing his family. The little penguin got a shudder and heard a faint murmur of the bunk below him.

"Private, what is it?" Skipper said in a weak voice and coughed. "I can´t sleep because I always has to remember, how you ..." Private murmured softly, tears welled up in his eyes. "Come down to me." Skipper whispered softly and the little penguin was was immediatly at his bunk.

"If I´m going to die, then I would have liked to have had a young son, whom I could comfort when he can´t sleep." Skipper said, and slid to the side, to make Private some space in his bed. "Thank you, that you are there for me." murmured the little penguin and snuggled up to his leader.

"You're welcome." Skipper murmured with a gentle smile and covered himself and Private with his blanket. A short time later, both fell asleep. Private, who wasn´t able to get an eye shut, slept like a baby under Skippers protection. But after a few hours the little penguin felt that Skipper was sleeping uneasy.

He breathed heavily as he would get no air. "Skipper?" Private and asked opened his eyes. Suddenly Skipper was very quiet. Too quiet. Private sat up to look after him. "Skipper, what is it?" asked the little penguin scared and put his flippers on Skippers belly.

But he felt that Skipper was not breathing anymore. Private panicked. "Kowalski! " cried the little penguin aloud as he felt Skippers pulse. The scientist was there immediately. "What's wrong, Private?" Kowalski asked nervously. "Skipper. He doesn´t breathe anymore. But his heart is still beating." Private said quickly.

His voice trembled so much, that Kowalski had trouble of understanding him. "Private, calm down. Listen, you know what I have explained to you in our first aid course. You will have to start an artificial respiration, so I can quickly get the respirator out of my lab." Kowalski said, and made his way to the lab as fast as possible.


	11. On The Road To Death

11. On the Road to Death

Private opened Skippers beak and tried to ventilate. At first it did´t really work but after a few tries, he made it to blow a little breath into the lungs of the leader. A few minutes later, Kowalski came from his lab and took a machine with hoses behind him. Rico was also awake now and was about to freak out. "Skipper dead?" he cried in horror.

"No, not yet." Private anwered and tried to make Skipper breathing one more time "Private, Rico get him to the couch. I need space to connect him to the machine." Kowalski said nervously, and prepared everything. As soon as possible Private and Rico carried the unconsious Skipper to the couch. Kowalski was already ready start an intubation.

After the leader was lying on the sofa, the scientists pushed Skippers head back and led the tube into his trachea. Then he attached a thin tube in it and turned on the respirator, so Skipper was finally able to breathe again. Now, the biggest danger was passed. The Penguins were trying to calm down after the excitement. "Private, what happened?" Kowalski asked out of breath. "I don´t know, he was suddenly breathing so hard and then he stopped breathing at all. I was so scared." Private said, trying to recover from the shock.

The three looked nervously to the poor skipper who just survived because he had a tube in the lung. "How can such a thing happen. Is he dying now?" Private whimpered softly and Kowalski started immediatly to examinate Skipper. The scientists listened Skippers heart with a stethoscope and his face became serious.

"Rico, bring me a syringe, stat." Kowalski said, feeling and examinating Skippers chest. His face grew more tense. After two minutes, Rico came back with the syringe. The scientists quickly took it and stabbed the needle into the region of Skippers heart. He slowly pulled the plunger up and a clear liquid filled the syringe.

The Penguins were shocked. "Kowalski, what's that?" Private asked in alarm. "This is a pericardial effusion. A collection of fluid in the chest, which presses on the heart. This could also affect his breathing. If we don´t aspirate the fluid, his heart will be damaged even more." Kowalski murmured thoughtfully. "Oh God, this means that the end is coming?" Private asked again and expecting the worst.

"Private, I don´t know. I don´t know what I should do more. I will do everything to help him. But if his heart would fail, I can´t do anything." Kowalski said sadly. "No, no." Rico muttered and sighed despaired. "You saved his life, Private. If you had not been with him, he would have suffocated." the scientist said, looking proud at the little penguin who was pleased with the compliment.

"What now?" asked Rico depressed. "I think we have to wait until he wakes up. More we can not do now. I'll connect him to the ECG, so that we can monitor his condition. Now, if something should happen, we will know it immediatly." Kowalski muttered as he stuck electrodes on Skippers chest. A short time later, Skippers heartbeat appeared on the monitor.

It was weak but regularly, which calmed his team a bit. "I think we should go to bed. Theres no use if we sit here all night." said the scientist, who was glad he had the situation under control now. "How are we supposed to be able to sleep?" Private asked irritated. "Skipper would not want us to spend because all night in fear for him." Kowalski said, standing up.

"I will stay with him." Private cried and lay on the couch demonstratively. Rico also wanted to stay with him. "Well, we all stay with him." Kowalski muttered and threw some pillows at them. The four huddled on the couch and tried to sleep. The beep of the ECG echoed through the HQ and left a sinister atmosphere. Nevertheless, they managed to fall asleep because they were all done totally by the emotional stress.

The next morning ...

Skippers team was already on its feet, as the leader regained consiousness. He felt terribly miserable. He couldn´t speak, because he still had the tube in his throat. With bloodshot eyes he looked for help to his friends. Quickly the others noticed that their leader was regaining consciousness.

"Skipper, how do you feel?" Private asked and sat down beside him on the couch. The leader pointed with tears in his eyes on his neck to show Private that he couldn´t answer him. Skipper nodded and a big tear rolled from his eyes. His face hardly showed a sign of life, only pain and despair. "Can you not remove the hose, Kowalski?" Private asked when he saw Skipper painful facial expression.

The scientists went to the couch and took his stethoscope. He pressed the cold metal tightly on Skippers chest and the leader counted with a further bad news. "Wait, Skipper. I have to aspirate the liquid again, so the pressure on your lungs will be reduced again. Then I remove the tube, at least for a few hours. Until a new pericardial effusion accumulated. Through you cardiac damage it could happen any time now. " Kowalski said with a sad undertone.

Skipper knew that he wouldn´t recover, yet he wept about his terrible condition. He didn´t want to be ventilated or that he could only live by machines. "Shh skipper, that's not so bad. As long as you're alive." Private murmured, stroking Skippers back to comfort him. "So, Skipper. I´ll pull out the hose now and you have cough vigorously, okay?" Kowalski said, and fumbled with the tube.

Skipper coughed and choked as Kowalski pulled the tube out of of the leaders throat. It was very unpleasant, and the leader got a coughing attacki. "Thank you, men." coughed Skipper and pressed his flippers against his aching neck. But Kowalski made a serious face, because he wanted to explain to the leaders the urgency of the situation. The scientists knew that it made no sense to make his leader any false hopes.

"Skipper, I don´t know how to explain it. But your condition is very serious. I know it's hard to say this, but your heart will fail soon. I'm sorry, but I guess that you won´t have more than one to two days left. " Kowalski murmured and tried to swallow his tears. Skipper got a heavy sting in his chest that had nothing to do with his illness. He buried his face under his wings and sobbed. The leader felt ten times worse by Kowalski's harsh words. Depressed, he sank back into the soft couch and suffered a nervous breakdown.


	12. Dying In A Black Winter Night

**Note: Now its time to say farewell. I know you guys hate me for letting Skipper die. But this is not the end of the story. And I´m writting on a sequel where he comes to life again. So watch out for the next chapters and for my new story ´City of the Damned` coming up soon.**

Here I am with you,

I´m there till the end.

Memories are calling,

So farewell my friend

~Say Goodnight by Bullet for my Valentine

12. Dying In A Black Winter Night

"Skipper, no. You can´t just give up. You have to be strong. We are all with you, that you must never forget." Private said encouragingly, but for Skipper, there were no words, who brought him back from despair. "But I will die, I'll let you all down." muttered Skipper and his voice trembled.

"No, don´t even think about something like that. You will live on in our hearts. We will never forget you. I promise you." Kowalski sniffled and rubbed his flippers over his eyes, because it´s so difficult for him to talk about feelings. The scientists didn´t know how he could bring the leader back to other thoughts to distract him from his fate.

"Guys, you're the best." Skipper murmured sadly and tried to get a clear mind again. "What would I just do without ... AAAAAHHHHH!" Skipper shouted at once, and pressed his flippers on his chest. "What's wrong?" Private asked shocked, when the leaders cringed in pain. "Kowalski?" called Private, but the scientists stood there petrified. "It looks as if I was wrong when I said he had a maximum of two days." Kowalski stuttered aghast, but the others knew what he meant.

"No!" Rico roared loudly and Private was quick on Skipper side. "It hurts so much. I can not breathe." gasped the leader and tried to grab air. "Kowalski, do something!" Rico said, shaking the scientist so that he awoke from his state of shock. Kowalski quickly ran to his lab, and Rico and Private pushed Skipper back on the couch so he could lie down. "Skipper, relax. You have to breath calmy. Ok? " Private murmured softly, and tried to calm his leader again.

But Skipper had a violent stinging in the chest that radiated into his body. It was unbearable to him as if someone would torn his heart out. Kowalski came back quickly. He had some syringes there. "Go away!" he shouted to the other two, and Private and Rico quickly jumped to the side. Without hesitation, the scientists gave him a morphine injection and felt his pulse. But the morphine didn´t work.

"Oh God, Kowalski. What is wrong with him?" Private cried and panicked, as Skipper lost counsiousness. "He has a heart attack." murmured the scientist and started a heart massage. He firmly pressed on Skippers chest to make his heart beating again, but it was useless. "Come on, Skipper. You have to persevere." Kowalski muttered desperately, and continued his reanimation. Rico went nervously back and forth and Private couldn´t move from shock. Ten minutes passed and Kowalski made the most of himself to make Skippers heart beating again.

All of a sudden the scientist stopped his efforts and gasped. "Is he dead? Kowalski, say something. Is it over?" Private cried out in fear. "No, his heart beating again, Private." snorted the scientists and pressed Skipper a breathing mask on the face to support his poor respiratory.

He quickly took his stethoscope and examined Skipper again. But his face was a stunned feeling. "Private, Rico, you need to calm down and listen to me. I guess he´ll hold out no longer anymore. The heart attack has given him the rest and his heart is to weak to keep him alive for more than a few hours. He is in a coma now and has at least no pain. I think it's time to say goodbye to him. " Kowalski murmured, and tears trickled down his face. "No, please don´t. I can´t say goodbye." Private cried in horror. "Wake up, wake up." called Rico and let out a desperate howl that echoed on the walls.

It was late afternoon and Skipper hasn´t still awakened from the coma. The penguins were sitting silently on the couch or on the chairs around Skipper to be close to him. A snowstorm was raging outside, as if even the weather would mourn Skippers dwindling.

It was very quiet in the HQ, just the clock that is ticking relentlessly, indicating that Skippers life passed by every minute. Private brought the leader a blanket from his bunk and wrapped tightly around his body so that Skipper wasn´t freezing at least. It was night when Skipper woke up again. He knew that he didn´t had much time left.

By a flipper signal, he asked Kowalski to get the mask from his face, because he wanted to talk one last time with his friends. "That's it now. My mission is over and we have to go separate ways." Skipper whispered softly, because he wasn´t able to talk in a normal tone of voice anymore. "Skipper, please. I think you should not say that so literally." Kowalski said, and sighed.

"You are right. You were the best friends I could ever wish for. I don´t know what would I be without you." gasped skipper proud. "Skipper, that's sweet of you but no one can ever replace you." said Private and let the tears flow. "I wish I could stay with you forever. I don´t want to leave you. Never." muttered the leader, and started to cry too. "Love you." Rico murmured softly and hugged Skipper. The leader was very touched, and hoped that the hug would never stop. "Rico, my brother. I have only one request of you. Don´t try to blow up things all the time, Okay?" Skipper said, letting go of the crazy penguin.

Now it was Kowalskis turn. He also hugged Skipper. One last time "Kowalski, please watch over the team. I count on you, as I always did." muttered the leader and the scientist nodded softly with silent tears. "Skipper, you can always rely on me. My friend, I love you." Kowalski said honestly.

Private was not able to say goodbye to Skipper. He just couldn´t and he didn´t want to. The little penguin wished that he could die with him. He moved closer and Skipper gave him one last smile. "Private, son. Come to me ..." whispered the leader weak. Whimpering the little penguin pressed his head on Skippers chest and closed his eyes. He wished that the hug would never end. Very quietly he heard Skipper's weak heart beat, as it would want to say goodbye too. "Skipper, I don´t know what to say. You are very special to me and I wish we had had more time." Private wept and stroked gently Skippers chest to show him his affection as a real son.

"It's okay, Private. I will miss all of you endlessly but my time has come. I wish you were my true son. As I already said I no one would be a better child for me." Skipper murmured softly, feeling fainted. Everything was getting dark around him. He felt no pain, just Privates embrace.

Then suddenly everything was black and Skipper muttered his last words. "Private, I love you. Kowalski, Rico. I love you too. Goodbye, my friends ..." The leader could not speak clearly anymore and his heart finally stopped beating. Together with his last breath, the penguin died in Privates wings. "Shh. Sleep, Skipper. Just sleep. You will always live on in my heart, Father." Private whimpered and gave Skipper a last kiss on his forehead before he slipped into death.

Now he was relieved from his suffering, and now he could finally rest in peace. "Kowalski, he is now with the angels?" Private asked with a trembling voice, Kowalski and Rico nodded silently. Like a rushing river the tears streamed from his eyes, he didn´t want to admit that Skipper was lying dead in his arms. Despair went back to him and the little penguin shouted out all his pain out. Kowalski looked just desperate to the clock. "Time of death 22:49 ..." Scientists said, and made Skippers death now officially


	13. At The Funeral

13. At The Funeral

"No. Skiiiiiiiiiippppperrr!" Private screamed and pushed Skippers dead body close to him. "Please come back again." The little penguin was completely out of control. Kowalski quickly pulled him down from the leader and hugged him. "Private, he will not return. He´ll never coming home." wailed the scientist and cried.

Rico couldn´t stand it anymore. Quickly he was choked up a few bombs. "Rico, no!" Kowalski said, holding the crazy penguin who was about to blow off the entire HQ. "Rico, please hold youself back. This doesn´t bring Skipper back to us." Kowalski muttered and Rico choked up some wooden boards. "What are you doing?" cried Private confused. "Coffin" Rico murmured sadly and started to build a coffin for Skiper with hammer, nails and his bare flippers.

"There´s a beautiful weeping willow in the Park. There we should bury him." Kowalski said and wiped his eyes. The scientist took a sheet and covered Skippers body with it. That was the end. The Penguins didn´t how they should go now. Skipper had gone from them and now they had to bury their best friend and leader. Private just cried desperate, he could not cope with the loss. Kowalski and Rico couldn´t do anything but watch him in his grief. They couldn´t do anything to calm him somehow.

The night passed and no one thought about going to sleep. Kowalski went off to the other zoo inhabitants to tell the bad news and at the same time to invite them to the funeral. Rico was finished with the coffin. He had taken great effort to build a simple black coffin with his bare flippers. Now all gathered around the dead leader.

One last time they could touch him. Kowalski and Rico lifted him up and put him in the coffin. Private was not able to do just anything. His eyes burned with tears. "It´s time. Would anyone of you share any last words or deeds before we close the coffin?" Kowalski stammered softly. Rico nodded and choked up one of his little black bombs and put them to Skipper in the coffin. The scientist waddled into his lab and quickly took his clipboard and gave it to Skipper.

Private hesitated but then he waddled quickly to his safe and took out his peanut butter lollypop. That was his greatest treasure but he wanted to give him to Skipper. Slowly, he laid it on Skippers belly and put his flippers on it so that it looked as if the leader would hold it. That was the only thing they could do for him to pay their last respects.

Rico, please put the lid on the coffin. We gotta organize the funeral now." muttered Kowalski and went on his way to the park, where the grieving guests were waiting. All had come to say goodbye to Skipper. Kowalski asked Bada and Bing to dig a grave and Marlene should build a grave stone with clams and rocks.

All zoo animals were very sad, even the well-hearted King Julien was sad and silent. The gentle murmur of the mourners fell silent as the penguins approached. Rico Kowalski and carried the coffin and went after them with bowed head. They carefully laid Skippers coffin in the middle, so he could be seen by all of them.

The grave was located at the foot of the tree, the branches rustle softly in the wind. The wind blew relentlessly, and whirled on white snowflakes. Private stood beside the coffin, and looked into the void. Suddenly he felt a gentle paw on his shoulder. "Private, I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved Skipper and he also loved you. You two have always been like father and son." Marlene murmured softly and hugged the little penguin, who cried on her shoulder. Kowalski cleared his throat to get the attention of the zoo inhabitants.

"We are all gathered here because we have lost a precious treasure. Skipper was always a very good leader and an even better friend. We could always count on him and he was always immediately on the spot when he was needed. I think that all of you liked him, even if he was obnoxious sometimes. In my case, I haven´t lost just one of my best friends, but also my beloved brother. May he rest in peace. Those who want to say a few words, go ahead ..." Kowalski said, trying to suppress the tremor in his voice.

Then Marlene was on it and even she couldn´t hold back her tears. "Skipper was always a good friend for me. He always had an open ear for my problems and worries. I could trust him everything, but this loss made me realize how important friendship is. I hope he is redeemed from his suffering and I will never forget my good old friend..." muttered the Otter quietly and bowed her head. She couldn´t say just one more word because the grier erased all thoughts from your head.

Now it was Ricos turn. The crazy penguin made some strange movements and grunting noises, but in the end he added a few intelligible words. "Miss You." he murmured softly and gave Private a sign that his turn started. But Private was not able to say just anything. He stood motionless, while the others waited for him to also gave a little speech.

But the little penguin couldn´t utter a peep, but burst into tears and ran away from the funeral because he simply couldn´t endure this anymore. Kowalski and Rico looked after him and decided to follow him before inflicting any more stupidity. The other mourners continued with eulogies and final acknowledgments.

Then the coffin was slowly put into the grave and shoveled by Bada and Bing. Now was the brave leader was laid to rest in the middle of Central Park. The mourners broke up soon and they all went down back in their habitats. Kowalski and Rico made spending time in the search for Private, because they were afraid that he was going to hurt himself.

They found him pretty quickly because he was hiding in Skippers bunk and held a knife on the wrists of his flippers. "Private, no!" Kowalski screamed in horror and rushed at the little penguin to prevent that he committed suicide. Quickly the scientist hit the knife from his flipper and pushed him to the ground. "Private, please. You can´t just do this. This won´t bring Skipper back to us. You can´t just kill yourself, got it?" Kowalski screamed hysterically, because he was afraid that the little penguin had now completely lost his mind.

At the end of the world,

or the last thing I see.

You are never coming home,

never coming home.

Could I?

Should I?

~The Ghost Of You by My Chemical Romance


	14. The Dream

**Note: Now this is the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this incredible sad story anyway. I told you to make a sequel and i already started. It will be a very dark story about vampires, zombies, bloodlust and friendship. All this is happening in an apocalyptic wasteland that once was New York. But I won´t tell you everything before I even published the story. So please don´t be sad that Skipper died in this story, he´ll be back in the sequel. Thanks for your support and reviewing. XOXO ladywhiplasher.**

14. The Dream

Private eyes looked helpless into Kowalskis eyes. He didn´t know why he wanted to kill himself, but his heart couldn´t bear this pain any longer. The little penguin felt as if someone would have pulled all the joy and happiness from his body and only pain and suffering remained.

"Kowalski, I'm sorry. I didn´t want to cause you guys any more grief. But I just can´t live with this pain. ... I just wanna die ..." Private murmured softly and squeezed Kowalski. "I know what you´re feeling, Private. We all feel this pain. But you can´t allow it to drive you to suicide. Skipper never would have wanted you to kill yourself. I know he watches over you and would try to protect you from any danger. Please, don´t do that to him or us. " the scientist wept and embraced little Private. "I'll try, Kowalski," murmured the little penguin, and let go of Kowalski.

In the HQ there was a frightening silence. Rico had even given up his to brush the hair of his dollgirlfriend and sat with an empty gaze on a chair. The scientist screwed around on his inventions completely absent and didn´t think about about what he was doing. Private tried to lie down because he was too exhausted from all the stress and sadness.

He laid in Skippers bunk and closed his eyes. Rico and Kowalski followed him soon, and also went to bed. The little penguin tried to sleep, but as expected he couldn´t. He always had to think about how Skipper had been lying in this bed and suffered. Nevertheless, the little penguin felt weak his presence. After hours of pondering, he fell asleep at least. But it was not a restful sleep, because a terrible nightmare tormented him.

Again and again he saw Skipper, who died in his wings and with every time it got worse. Private screamed in pain because he saw this scene in his dream in an endless circle. "Noooooooooooooo, Skipper. Please come back to me. I beg you. Don´t leave me alone." Private shouted with all his strengh, and woke Kowalski and Rico, which were sleeping very badly too. "Oh God, Private. What can I do to make you feel a little better." Kowalski asked desperately because he couldn´t bear the cries for help of the little penguin any longer. Rico and the scientists had to witness how Private endured emotional agony.

The little penguin woke up drenched in sweat and looked how Kowalski and Rico were staring at him worried. Both had deep edges under their eyes and didn´t know what to do anymore. "Private, tell me what I can do to help you." Kowalski muttered desperately, worried about his little friend. "I don´t know. I see him again and again. Dead. Dying in my flippers. I can not stand this anymore." Private wept bitterly.

He got up and waddled to the entrance hatch. "What are you doing?" Rico asked in surprise. "I think I need some fresh air." Private whimpered and climbed up the ladder. Kowalski and Rico wanted to follow him because they didn´t know whether he would do to something to harm himself, but Private shook his head. "No, I want to be alone. I'll be back soon." cried the little penguin from above. As Privater got ouside, he immediately felt the icy cold of a relentless winter. He looked at the sky and the stars sparkled him innocently.

Private left the penguin habitat and made his way to the park. The zoo was embrached by an erie silence caused by the mourning inhabitants. After a few minutes, the little penguin got outside the zoo and went straight to the weeping willow where Skipper has been buried, without any further thought. From the distance he saw the small, inconspicuous tombstone. It was made of stone and was covered artfully with shells

Marlene had been at great efforts to create this little piece of art. Private saw the little mound of earth that stood out from the white snow clearly. When he arrived, the little penguin fell exhausted on his knees. Again tears streamed from his eyes and small snowflakes fell on him. "Skipper, please come back. Please don´t leave us. I need you, Father." Private whimpered softly and are supported himself with the flippers before he collapsed from exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

The wind whispered softly, as he would want to talk to him. Icy cold rose in Private and he was shaking so much that he fell on his stomach and remained motionless on the ground. The little penguin watched as the dust was whirled off from Skippers grave by the wind and flew into the deep black night. Private felt he lost his mental strength and collapsed. Slowly his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he heard no more sounds and the icy cold wind had turned into a pleasant heat. He just saw light that hasn´t been tarnished by any darkness. "Where am I? Am I dreaming?" wondered the little penguin and looked around, confused. "Yes, Private. You're dreaming. But this is not a nightmare ..." he heard a very familiar voice from the light.

"Skipper?" Private asked and turned around quickly. In the bright light he saw a figure that was slowly approaching. Private felt the tears flowed from his eyes unconsciously, as Skipper was standing right in front of him. He was really there. Alive and sound. The leader exuded an aura of strength and happiness, that Private hadn´t felt in a long time. "Skipper, you're alive!" Private cried and lunged at him. The little penguin hugged his leader and couldn´t believe his luck. Everything was as before, Skipper was there for him to protect him. From himself this time.

"Skipper, please come back to us. I can not live without you." Private murmured and buried his face in his Skipper's soft feathers. "Private, listen to me. I don´t have much time." Skipper said softly, stroking the little penguins head. "You can´t just throw away your life, just because I passed away. I'm not worth it." muttered the leader, silent and sad. "But you are! I would like nothing more than you're with us again, Skipper." said Private and enjoyed every second that Skipper was with him now.

"Private, I can´t return, you know that. But I will always watch over you, my son. I just don´t want you slipping further into the darkness. I want you to be happy again, my son. " Skipper said softly and sighed. "But I can´t just forget you and I can´t continue to live simply and pretend as if nothing ever happened." Private whimpered, who didn´t understand what the leader wanted to tell him.

"Private, look at me. You don´t have to forget me and I beg you not to do it. But you can´t give up so easily. I want you to continue to live for me. Please fulfil this last wish from me." Skipper begged and looked deep into Privates eyes. "Kowalski and Rico are needing you. Please don´t do that to them." added the leader. Private understood then what was going to say.

He nearly killed him, and wouldn have brought his surviving brothers, even more pain. Secretly, he was ashamed of it now. "I'm sorry ..." murmured the little penguin sad. "Are you leaving me now again?" Private asked, looking at skipper, who had to hold back his tears. "I think I still got a few minutes." whispered the leader, and hugged Private tightly.

The little penguin snuggled up to Skippers chest and felt like a little baby, safe and sound. "Believe me, Private. I didn´t want to leave you. But I had no choice. My body has just been slack, but my soul lives on. I only wish we would have more time." said skipper and a tear dripped down his cheek. Private couldn´t answer him, because he was drawn back into a fast rising darkness. He saw Skipper getting more and more distant to him. The leader waved at him with a gentle smile. "We will meet again, Private." Skipper still called after him, as Private was drawn into the dark ...

"Private, Private, wake up." Kowalski's voice he heard and the little penguin felt the icy chill of winter, back under him. "Rico, he wakes up. Quick a blanket." Kowalski said hurriedly, wrapped a snug, warm blanket around his body, because he was frozen completely.

"What happened?" Private asked confused and looked around. He was still beside Skippers grave and the sun shone softly through the branches of the weeping willow. "You were asleep, Private, and you have spent the whole night at Skipper's grave." said the scientists concerned. But then Private remembered Skippers words.

"I'm sorry, Kowalski. I didn´t want to bring you even more grief. But I've talked to Skipper and now I will chance myself. I promise." Private muttered weakly and sneezed. "You have got a cold, Private. You have to go to bed and you have not really talked to Skipper. That was all a dream." said the scientists and helped Private getting up.

"But it was not a normal dream. Skipper has been here for a short time and has talked to me. He said I should not give up and I´ll follow his orders, Kowalski. To you, that might have been a dream, but for me it was very real " said the little penguin seriously. Kowalski nodded. "Come on, let´s go home, Private. At least we still have us and with the time passing by the grief will get easier. We can do it, together." said the tall penguin and together with Private and Rico he made his way home.

The End


End file.
